Can an Official Test Be Carried Out “From the Desk”?
The date of a repeated official test is approaching, production is running, and every hour of downtime costs money. At a moment like this, the idea of having “the paperwork done remotely” sounds tempting. Just send the documentation and a few photographs, and the certificate arrives by e-mail?
No. A remote official test is not possible, and neither is a test “from the desk”. A professionally competent employee of an authorised legal entity must inspect and verify the classified technical equipment physically, directly at the place of operation. This has been confirmed by a guideline of the National Labour Inspectorate (NLI), based on the opinion of the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family of the Slovak Republic of 16 April 2026.
In this article, we explain what exactly the guideline says, why the inspector’s personal presence is not a formality, and what risks a “desk test” would pose for the operator, from the validity of documents to insurance claims.
What does the NLI guideline say about personal presence?
The NLI issued the guideline in accordance with Section 6(1)(g) of Act No. 125/2006 Coll. on labour inspection and based it on the opinion of the Ministry as the authority responsible for Act No. 124/2006 Coll. and Decree No. 508/2009 Coll. Its essence can be summarised in two points:
- The test takes place on site: for official tests, repeated official tests and other tests of classified technical equipment, a professionally competent person must physically, directly on site, carry out an inspection and verify that the equipment is fit for safe operation, including its safe operation by staff.
- Tests are performed by the OPO’s own employees: an authorised legal entity may verify the safety of technical equipment only through its own employees, professionally competent natural persons employed under an employment contract (Section 14(3)(b) and (d) of Act No. 124/2006 Coll.).
The guideline does not introduce any new obligation. It confirms what has always followed from the legislation: the safety of technical equipment cannot be verified without inspecting and testing the equipment on site.
Why is reviewing documentation and photographs not enough?
The answer lies in the very definition of an official test. Under Section 12 of Decree No. 508/2009 Coll., an official test verifies whether classified technical equipment is fit for safe operation, including its safe operation by staff, and whether it corresponds to the design documentation for which an Expert Opinion was issued.
Documentation and photographs can show what the equipment was supposed to look like. They cannot show what condition it is actually in: whether the safety and protective devices work, what the measurements and functional tests reveal, how the equipment is installed in the real conditions of the workplace, and whether the operating staff handle it safely. These are precisely the things that are verified by an inspection and test on site.
A certificate issued without physical verification of the equipment is just a piece of paper. And paper does not mean safety.
Who may carry out an official test, and under what conditions?
Under Section 14(2) of Act No. 124/2006 Coll., an official test and a repeated official test may only be carried out by an authorised legal entity (in Slovak: oprávnená právnická osoba, OPO), a legal entity holding an authorisation issued by the National Labour Inspectorate. Section 14(3) of the Act imposes strict conditions on it: the OPO must employ professionally competent persons under employment contracts, have the necessary technical and measuring equipment, operate a quality system guaranteeing professional competence, independence and impartiality, and it must not design, manufacture or supply the equipment it verifies.
What risks would a remote official test pose for the operator?
It might seem that the way the test is performed is a problem only for whoever performs it. In reality, the consequences would fall primarily on the operator:
- A questionable certificate: a certificate of an official test is meant to confirm that the equipment was inspected and tested on site. If that did not happen, the operator cannot rely on it during an inspection by the authorities, an accident investigation or an insurance claim.
- A chain of deadlines: an official test or a repeated official test performed within the same interval replaces an expert inspection and expert test, and the intervals of the subsequent inspections and tests run from the date it was performed (Section 13(2) of Decree No. 508/2009 Coll.). A challenged test can therefore call into question the entire subsequent schedule of inspections.
- Responsibility stays with the operator: the operator is always responsible for the safe operation of the equipment. No document transfers this responsibility to whoever issued it, and a document issued without actual verification of the equipment’s condition certainly does not reduce it.
How should an operator proceed when ordering an official test?
You do not need a lawyer to recognise a properly performed test. A few practical criteria are enough:
- Verify the authorisation: the list of issued and withdrawn OPO authorisations is maintained by the National Labour Inspectorate on its website.
- Expect an on-site appointment: an official test is performed on the basis of the operator’s written request on an agreed date (Section 12(3) of the Decree). A properly conducted test always includes the inspector’s visit to the equipment.
- Prepare the documents and access: the accompanying technical documentation, previous inspection reports, access to the equipment and operating staff who can demonstrate the equipment in operation. Good preparation shortens the test as well as any downtime.
- Expect a complete output: if the equipment meets the requirements, the OPO issues a certificate within 30 days of completing the official test and confirms the result in the accompanying technical documentation (Section 12(4) of the Decree).
An honest note to conclude: not every inspection requires an OPO. Expert inspections and expert tests within the intervals set by the Decree are carried out by technical inspectors, and an official test mainly concerns classified technical equipment in group A and specified gas equipment in group B. If you are not sure which obligation applies to your equipment, that is a legitimate question, and it is worth clarifying before you order anything.
Conclusion: what should operators take away from this?
The NLI guideline gives operators a clear and useful answer: a remote official test does not exist. Verifying the safety of classified technical equipment rests on a physical inspection and test of its actual condition, and it may only be performed by a professionally competent employee of an authorised legal entity directly on site.
The inspector’s personal presence is not a delay; it is a value. An experienced inspector explains the requirements and the reasons behind the findings during the test, and the operator receives an output they can rely on during audits, insurance claims and investment planning. Inspection is not paperwork; it is a risk management tool.
Interesting links
NLI guideline on the activities of employees of an authorised legal entity (in Slovak)
Act No. 124/2006 Coll. on occupational health and safety, Section 14 (in Slovak)
Decree No. 508/2009 Coll., Sections 12 and 13 (in Slovak)